Monthly Archives: August 2015

Top Ten (Okay, Thirteen) Auto-Buy Authors

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Books, YA Lit

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Happy Top Ten Tuesday, courtesy of the Broke and the Bookish! To be perfectly honest, the whole “Auto-Buy” thing gets trickier when you’re an author yourself, because there are friends I’m literally always gonna support with my wallet no matter WTF they publish and whether I have any interest in reading it. Truth be told, writerly friendships most often happen because you love their work, so, it’s not like that doesn’t count, but for the purposes of this post, I’m going to use the standard of “Published Authors I Have Never Met or Talked to On the Phone.”

(A few examples of authors this nixes: Corey Ann Haydu, Stephanie Kuehn, Jessica Verdi, Lindsay Smith, Gina Ciocca, Maggie Hall, Robin Talley, Katherine Locke, Julie Murphy, Jandy Nelson, Leah Raeder, Nova Ren Suma, Lindsay Ribar, Miranda Kenneally, Rachael Allen, Emery Lord, Becky Albertalli, Megan Erickson, Riley Edgewood, Elizabeth Briggs, Sarina Bowen, Christa Desir, Heather Demetrios, Abigail Haas…see why this was necessary? Exactly.) OKAY THEN.

Courtney Summers – shock and awe, I know. Because it’s not like I mention her in literally every blog post of my faves.

Melina Marchetta – See “Courtney Summers.” Then buy all her books.

Nina LaCour – See “Courtney Summers.” Then buy all her books.

Laura Wiess – I haven’t even read all of her books, but I keep buying them, and know I’ll read them eventually. I love that I don’t know exactly what to expect from them, but I know they’ll be dark, and thoughtful, and have heroines who screw up, and that’s enough for me.

Amy Reed – See “Laura Wiess.”

Lauren Strasnick – See “Laura Wiess.”

Sarah Ockler – I have not had a 100% Love or even Like rate with her books, but I will always, always try them. For one thing, I like her writing style. For another, she’s one of the two biggest authors I can think of in contemp YA romance who writes non-white characters. The other being…

Jennifer Echols – …who also writes majorly sex-positive books, as does…

Trish Doller – …(which is the reason I asked them to blurb Behind the Scenes.)

Sara Farizan – Two for two with f/f romances featuring intersectional diversity, which is kind of my crack, so.

Brandy Colbert – You know when you read just one book by an author but everything about it tells you that you’re gonna like everything she does in the future? That was me and Pointe. And by this logic…

Tess Sharpe because Far From You and

Alexis Bass because Love and Other Theories

Top Thirteen Tuesday still counts as a TTT, yes? Yes. Now tell me, dear bloggers, who are your instabuys?

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Exclusive Cover Reveal: Katherine Stark’s BODY CHECKED!

05 Wednesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Cover Reveal, NA Lit

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New NA author alert! Today I’m helping welcome a friend into the wild world of NA, and simultaneously revealing the cover and blurb for her debut, Body Checked! The book is the first in the Capital Ice series, a brand-new NA hockey trilogy, so strap on your face masks, get your sticks ready, and yeah okay I’ll work on my hockey metaphors; the hot cover speaks for itself anyway.

BodyCheckedKatherineStark72dpi

SERGEI DRAKONOV. The newest left wing for the Washington Eagles hockey team is a triple threat: muscle, roughed-up good looks, and a dangerous tabloid reputation. Not the kind of guy who fits into Jael Pereira’s five-year plan. Jael doesn’t have time for a relationship, between her challenging senior-year course load and her stiflingly dull internship at the FBI. But for one steamy night, she gives in to Sergei and his smooth-talking ways.

Sergei wants more than just another one-night stand. But his brother—a high-ranking member of the Russian mob—wants him to help the family business. He can use Sergei as an easy way to launder money, or to smuggle drugs on the Eagles team plane. And if Sergei doesn’t agree, he can kiss his skating career goodbye.

The FBI’s been watching Sergei. When they learn about Jael’s fling, they want her to persuade him to inform on his brother. But the more Jael sees the real Sergei, beyond the role he plays on the ice and in front of the cameras, the more she wants him in her life. How can she win his trust, though, when she’s playing a role of her own? And how can she protect him from his mobster brother when she can’t even protect her own heart?

But wait! There’s more! Exclusive teaser to come right…NOW.

“Hey. Brazil.”

I glance toward the corridor’s entrance. Sergei ducks through the red velvet curtains and lopes toward me, his eyes glittering in the darkened corridor.

“My name’s Jael.” Shit. Why did I tell him that? But it doesn’t matter. He won’t remember anyway. Just like any of his other countless conquests in the tabloids.

“Jael.” He says it slowly, teasing, testing out the way it shapes on his tongue. I know this because I’m staring at his mouth as he says it, that ripe, boyish mouth, his lips just a little pink from drinking. His tongue grazes along the edge of his teeth as he speaks. And then I’m imagining how that tongue might feel on my earlobe and running between my legs and—oh, god. I have got to stop.

“I promise you,” he says in Russian, “I’m not what you think.” Sergei props one hand against the wall behind me and leans in close. He’s got half a foot on me, and at least a hundred pounds of muscle, but he’s left me an escape if I want.

If.

I tilt my head up toward him and keep the scowl firmly fixed on my face. “And how do you know what I think?”

“It’s what everyone with half a brain thinks about me. That I’m some overly talented, privileged asshole with no discipline and no concern for anyone but myself. That I’ll screw over my teammates, cheat on my partners, and burn through all my money.”

His voice is so low. It hums inside of me, steady as a drumbeat, igniting my every nerve ending.

“They think I’m just skating through on raw talent alone, and sooner or later, all my mistakes and all my callousness are going to catch up with me.” He sighs. His breath is warm against my throat. “Is that what you think?”

“You really think I care enough about you to think all of that?” I ask. “That anyone does?”

Sergei’s hand curls into a fist and he closes his eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Welp! *fans self* For more on Katherine, to be added to her mailing list and to add Body Checked to your TBR, see below!

You can also find Katherine in our Summer Love party on August 24 at 8 p.m. EST, with a whole bunch of fabulous authors! Hope to see you there!